Barbie Fowler, 70, left, who has worked for In-N-Out for 18 years, gets a goodbye wave from President Lynsi Torres as she leaves the Rancho Santa Margarita restaurant on its first day Feb. 13. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In-N-Out Burger President Lynsi Torres, 30, switches gears as she focuses on her drag racing at the NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. She raced in the Super Gas class on Feb. 14. Beyond being a drag racer, she is consider by Bloomberg News to be one of the world's youngest billionaires as owner of the popular fast-food restaurant chain headquartered in Irvine. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Before donning her racing helmet, Lynsi Torres glances back at racecars lined up behind her. She is the billionaire owner and president of In-N-Out Burger. She recently raced at the NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lynsi Torres speeds away from the starting line during a Super Gas heat at the Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The In-N-Out Burger president raced at 167.43 mph from a standing start at the quarter-mile track. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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In-N-Out Burger President Lynsi Torres, 30, relaxes for a moment before racing at the NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. She is one of the world's youngest billionaires as owner of the popular fast food restaurant headquartered in Irvine. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Drag racer Lynsi Torres, 30, does a burn out in her Super Gas class Camaro prior to competing in the Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. The In-N-Out Burger president competed at the NHRA's Winternationals. She is one of the world's youngest billionaires. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lynsi Torres drives for the Flying Dutchman Racing team. The 30-year-old drag racer is president and owner of In-N-Out Burger. She competed at the recent NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona recently. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lynsi Torres, in background, looks over her Super Gas class Camaro with Flying Dutchman Racing team members before racing in her heat at the NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lynsi Torres concentrates during a conversation with a race team member before racing at the recent NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. She is the In-N-Out Burger chain's owner and president. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lynsi Torres drives her Super Gas class Camaro toward the staging area at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Super Gas class driver Lynsi Torres laughs with another driver before competing in a heat at the NHRA's Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Feb. 14. She is In-N-Out Burger's 30-year-old president and owner. H. LORREN AU JR., ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

On a recent morning, Lynsi Torres arrived in Rancho Santa Margarita for the opening of the latest In-N-Out Burger restaurant, where she mingled with cooks and counter workers and gave more than a few hugs.

Less than 24 hours later, the soft-spoken blonde was burning rubber behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro at nearly 170 mph down a Pomona drag strip.

These are rare glimpses into the life of the elusive, intensely private In-N-Out Burger owner, a 30-year-old heiress who, after a series of family tragedies, inherited the burger empire far sooner than she ever imagined.

Torres has kept a low profile since taking the reins of the business started by her grandparents. But in a recent interview with the Orange County Register, she spoke about how she runs one of the most admired companies in the fast-food industry.

Under her watch, In-N-Out has expanded to 281 stores in five states and employs more than 16,000 people. She acknowledged the pressure to carry on the legacy that has earned In-N-Out a fanatical following.

"I really feel responsible to maintain those things that my family instilled in this company," she said. "That's challenging because the temptation is to cut corners and change things here and there and do what everyone else is doing."

Doing what everyone else is doing has never been In-N-Out's style.

Throughout its 65-year history, the Irvine-based company has grown at a deliberately slow pace and has refused to franchise its operations, which has helped it keep tight control over food quality, restaurant cleanliness and its overall image. While competitors routinely roll out new products and limited-time offers, In-N-Out's menu has remained essentially unchanged: burgers, fries, soda and shakes.

"They're focused like a laser beam," said Dean Small, president of Synergy Food Consulting Group Inc. in Laguna Niguel. "They don't have a chicken sandwich; they don't have a fish sandwich; they don't do breakfast. They are experts in their area because they are highly focused."

Burger billionaire

Torres has managed to stay mostly behind the scenes by declining nearly every media interview request that has come her way. But interest in her story skyrocketed this month when Bloomberg News estimated In-N-Out's value at $1.1 billion and called Torres the youngest female billionaire in the country.

Executives at the privately held company characterized the number as pure speculation, and Torres wasn't interested in discussing her personal wealth. But she did say that any valuation is irrelevant because she refuses to sell In-N-Out. Ever. The thrice-married mother of twins hopes her own kids will run the company one day.

"We're definitely not franchising, and we're not going to sell," she said.

Torres always figured her future was with In-N-Out, but she never expected to take over at such a young age. Her grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, founded the company in 1948. When Harry Snyder died in 1976, his son Rich Snyder, Torres' uncle, took over and ran the company until he was killed in 1993 in a Santa Ana plane crash. That put the company in the hands of Torres' father, Guy Snyder, but he died in 1999 of a prescription drug overdose. At that point, Esther Snyder took control until her death in 2006, leaving Torres, then 24 and with no college degree, as the only remaining heir.

"I had no idea In-N-Out was going to fall on my lap as soon as it did," she said.

Torres had a partial ownership stake at the time of her grandmother's death, and through a trust she gained 50 percent control when she turned 30 last year. She will become full owner at age 35.

Having grown up in the company, Torres had worked in a number of departments within In-N-Out, including human resources and merchandising, but she had little experience managing day-to-day operations. Initially, she was hands-off, but she has since taken on a larger role, becoming president in 2010.

"I'm definitely more involved now," said Torres, who works primarily out of In-N-Out's satellite corporate office in Baldwin Park, which is closer to her Bradbury home. "I do everything from design the shirts and the stuff in the company store to long-term planning. There's nothing too big or small that I wouldn't want to be involved with."

Still, Torres doesn't call the shots alone. Most major decisions are made by committee among the company's seven-member senior management team.

The company's leaders never discuss In-N-Out's finances and rarely give much public insight into their operations, but analysts say there is little to suggest that Torres' stewardship of the company has been anything but a success.

"I don't see that she's taken any actions to move away from their strategy," said Randall Hiatt, president of restaurant consulting firm Fessel International Inc. in Costa Mesa. "In-N-Out has been so consistent. Their focused strategy has really worked. It's highly admired throughout the industry."

Slow growth

That doesn't mean Torres' tenure has been entirely smooth. In early 2006, Richard Boyd, a former vice president with the company, filed a lawsuit accusing Torres and other executives of conspiring to grab control of the company and expand rapidly; the company countersued. The two sides settled on confidential terms, but the episode garnered unwanted headlines for In-N-Out.

Since Esther Snyder died, the chain has grown from 202 restaurants to 281, or about 6 percent a year, roughly in line with historical averages.

"I give them a lot of credit for not trying to open up all across the country," consultant Small said.

That slow growth, a hallmark of the company's operations since the beginning, is a side-effect of its commitment to serve only high-quality, fresh food. Buns are baked fresh daily, lettuce is hand-leafed, whole Kennebec potatoes are sliced in-store, and the 100 percent American chuck beef is free of any additives or preservatives. Since In-N-Out restaurants do not have any freezers or microwaves, every new location must be within a short distance of its Baldwin Park or Dallas distribution facilities.

"Our focus (is) on quality. I think the customers really respect that," said Torres, who added that her favorite In-N-Out meal is a double meat burger with extra spread, pickles and chopped chilies.

In-N-Out has a passionate following – Torres doesn't like the term "cult." Customers often line up hours in advance of new-store openings, and renowned chefs from Julia Child to Thomas Keller have professed admiration for the chain.

Torres points to In-N-Out's consistency.

"We're not changing things like many other companies do," she said. "That's kept us unique; it's kept the customers feeling like we're not a sellout."

In-N-Out has long held a reputation as an attractive place to work. And that starts with salaries.

New hires earn $10 an hour, and the company prefers to promote from within for management positions.

In 2012, In-N-Out store managers made more than $120,000 on average. By comparison, the median pay for food service managers across restaurants nationwide is around $48,000 per year, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Keeping employees happy is a point of pride for Torres, who tries to connect with workers on a personal level.

"I do try to keep that family atmosphere here. That's very important to me," she said. "It's really hard to keep that today, with 281 stores, it's really hard. But I'm doing my best to keep that going."

Barbie Fowler, who has worked for In-N-Out cleaning tables and taking orders for 18 years, called Torres "one of the most humble" people she has met.

"She is just one of us," said Fowler, 70, noting that Torres came to her dinner celebrating 15 years with the company. "She never isn't accommodating to anyone."

History of racing

Torres' attempts to carry on her family legacy extend beyond In-N-Out. Like her father, Torres is an avid drag racer, competing in amateur categories at National Hot Rod Association events.

This month, Torres, who is married to racecar driver Val Torres Jr., bested more than half the field before bowing out in the third round of the Super Gas competition at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona. In her 1984 Camaro, painted dark gray with purple flames crawling up the hood, she hit speeds of 167 mph.

Her family – and In-N-Out – has deep roots in the racing community. In 1965, Harry Snyder invested in the newly built Irwindale Raceway and remained half-owner until it was demolished in the mid-1970s. The track developed a reputation among racers for having top-notch food, supplied by Snyder.

"There's always been a connection between In-N-Out and hot-rodders," said Steve Gibbs, a retired NHRA executive and longtime friend of the Snyder family. "Harry was at the track a fair amount. Both his sons were fans, and it seems to have come through in Lynsi as well."

When she was still a toddler, Torres would go with her father to the racetrack; she began competing when she turned 18. When Guy Snyder died in 1999, he left behind more than two dozen vehicles, including a number of hot rods.

Since then, racing has become more than just a hobby for Torres.

"It's important to me," she said, "because I feel the connection with my dad."

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